Kiara's Story
by MadPiper
Summary: Alternate Universe Snape OFC Romance. Kiara is in 1st year when Snape first comes to teach at Hogwarts. Chapter 17 now up. Please Review.
1. An Owl for Miss Connon

Hello all! This is AnyuBoo, the fairer half of MadPiper. :) What follows is my first solo fic. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so please don't sue me. So far, this is un-beta'd, so any mistakes are entirely my own. MadPiper has, of course, seen it, but he's not the spelling and grammar freak (that's me). There may be some small similarities at the beginning to our joint story The Lord, the Lady, and Luna, but I assure you this one is nothing like it, really. This is a Snape/OFC romance fic. It is also most definitely AU. Have fun reading!

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Chapter 1: An Owl for Miss Connon

The pretty young girl sat in front of her mirror, dreamily brushing her long, pale blonde hair. The July sun streaming in her window highlighted her hair, making it shine in the bright sunlight. She looked in the mirror again. Her face was oval shaped, with pronounced cheekbones, a small, straight nose, and a small mouth, but with fairly full lips. Her large eyes were an odd shade of lavender, framed by long lashes that were considerably darker than her hair. Family and friends had often told her that her eyes darkened almost to violet when she felt strongly about something, and lightened to an icy shade when she was very angry, although that didn't happen often. Her figure was slightly more developed than that of most girls her age, making her seem about a year or so older than the eleven that she was, in spite of the fact that she was rather petite. All in all, she had the type of appearance that could cause other girls to dislike her intensely were it not for the fact that she was a very friendly girl, sunny and good-natured.

She ran her brush through her hair somewhat absently, her mind on the subject of schools. Specifically, she was thinking about middle schools since, now that she was eleven, it was time for her to leave the local primary school. Her application had been sent to several schools in Great Britain. She was curious as to which would accept her but, as her marks had always been quite good, she was able to wonder without being anxious about it. Her thoughts were interrupted at that moment by a persistent tapping on her window. She looked up and was startled to see an owl, a barn owl, sitting on the wide window ledge, tapping its beak against the glass. She opened her window, thinking that maybe the owl was hurt and disoriented. As soon as she did so, however, it flew in, perched on the back of her chair, and held out one leg. Looking closer, the girl could see that the owl had some sort of paper tied to it. She untied the paper and was startled again, seeing that it was an envelope and that it was addressed in emerald green ink to Miss Kiara Connon, Second Bedroom, 18 Emerald Street, 489-Whitstable, Kent.

"That's me," she said aloud in surprise, as she turned it over to see where it had come from. The owl hooted softly in response and flew back out the window. On the back of the envelope, Kiara saw a crest with the word 'Hogwarts' and the images of a lion, a badger, a raven, and a snake. She opened the envelope, pulled out the letter, and read it. It was a letter from a school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Apparently she had been accepted as a student, although she hadn't realized she was a candidate. She couldn't remember ever sending her application to a school like that. Kiara read and re-read the letter. Then she noticed the second sheet tucked inside. This one was a list of uniforms, books, and other equipment that she needed. There was also a train ticket. It was for the Hogwarts Express, leaving King's Cross at eleven in the morning on September first. Kiara was so absorbed in reading that she didn't hear her mother calling her to dinner. Finally, Mrs. Connon came upstairs, knocked lightly, and opened the door.

"Kiara dear," she said, "I called you three times already. What are you so absorbed in?"

"Oh, sorry Mum," Kiara answered. "I was reading this letter and didn't hear you."

"A letter? Kiara, the post arrived hours ago. There wasn't a letter addressed to you."

"I know, Mum. This just arrived a little while ago. An owl brought it to my window."

"An owl? Kiara, owls don't normally fly during the day, and they certainly don't carry letters. If I didn't know better, I'd think you're making this up. Anyways, come downstairs. Your Gran is here and it's time for dinner."

"Ok, Mum," Kiara replied, and the two of them made their way down to the dining room with Kiara still holding the letter.

"Hello dear," Kiara's Gran greeted her.

"Hi Gran," Kiara replied as she sat down at the table.

"What is that you have there?" Gran asked.

"Oh, it's a weird letter I just got a little while ago," Kiara replied. "The strange thing about it is that it didn't come with the regular post. An owl brought it to my window."

"An owl?" Gran asked. "You mean you got your Hogwarts letter?" At this, all eyes turned to Gran.

"How did you know?" Kiara asked.

"Very simple, dear," Gran replied. "I went to Hogwarts too, when I was a girl."

"Just what is this 'Hogwarts' place?" Mrs. Connon asked.

"Hogwarts is a school," Gran replied. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You see, Kiara, like myself, is a witch. Hogwarts will teach her how to use her powers properly."

"A witch?" Mrs. Connon asked. "Mum, have you been in the sherry? You're a nurse, or at least, you were before you retired."

"No dear," Gran replied with a tolerant smile, "I was actually a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. That's the wizarding equivalent of a doctor. Your father was not a wizard and, as it happened, you did not turn out to be a witch. Kiara on the other hand, seems to have inherited the talent. Oh, that reminds me, son, could you run across to my house? In the cupboard under the stairs there's a black trunk. Would you bring that back here, please?"

"Sure thing," Dr. Connon replied. "I'll fetch it right after dinner." The rest of the dinner passed fairly quietly after that, as well as quickly. Afterwards, Kiara, her mother, and her Gran waited in the living room, while Dr. Connon walked across the street to his mother-in-law's house. In the specified cupboard, he found a large, black trunk, which he lugged back home and set on the living room floor in front of Kiara's Gran.

"Thank you, dear," Gran said, as she opened the trunk and began taking things out. "This was the trunk I used when I went to Hogwarts. Here are my old robes. We'll put these away as you should have your own new things. The books also, since they're probably out of date by now. However, here's my set of crystal phials. You can have these, dear. They were the best quality available and probably still are. Here's also my telescope. It was also top quality, and I'd give it to you as well, but there are even better ones available now. Ones that are much stronger. Now, I think we should take you shopping soon to get the rest of your school supplies."

"Where can we possibly buy things such as these?" Mrs. Connon asked, looking over the list.

"Oh, that's not a problem, dear," Gran replied. "We'll go to London, to Diagon Alley. We'll be able to buy everything we need there."

"Diagon Alley?" Dr. Connon asked. "I know London quite well and I've never heard of such a place."

"Of course not, son," Gran replied. "Only the wizarding community knows about it. Trust me, I know exactly where it is. If you like, we can even go tomorrow."

"Yes, let's," Kiara said excitedly. She couldn't wait to get to this strange new place to buy magical supplies.

"Well, I suppose we could," Dr. Connon replied. "We have nothing planned for tomorrow. We'll leave first thing after breakfast."

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Well, that's it for chapter 1. I have this story pre-written to chapter 27. Hopefully, I'll be able to overcome my writer's block to continue by the time I have that posted (I plan, hopefully, on posting several chapters a week).

Please review!


	2. Diagon Alley

Hello all! Once again, this is AnyuBoo, the fairer half of MadPiper. Here is chapter 2 of my first solo fic. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

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Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

The following morning, the four of them drove up to London. Traffic on the M2 was relatively sparse and they were in town within an hour. Gran directed them to Charing Cross Street and they parked in front of a large bookshop. The bookshop had a hamburger joint on one side and a record shop on the other. To their surprise, Gran walked up to the wall between the bookshop and record shop and opened a door they hadn't noticed before.

"Here we are, dears," she said. "This is the Leaky Cauldron. We go through here to get to Diagon Alley." They followed her in, not sure what to expect. The inn, and the people in it, looked as if they had been plucked straight out of the nineteenth century. Several people greeted Kiara's Gran as they walked to a door at the back, which opened out onto a small, walled courtyard. Gran took a wand out of her pocket and tapped the bricks on the wall with it. Kiara and her parents were startled to see the bricks shift and wriggle. They kept shifting around until there was an archway in the wall.

"Step through here, dears," Gran said, indicating the archway. "This is the way in to Diagon Alley." They walked through, trying to look everywhere at once. The bustling little street, like the inn, looked as if it belonged in the nineteenth century as well. Kiara saw a number of strange shops. One seemed to sell nothing but cauldrons in all sorts of sizes. There was also a quaint-looking bookshop, an Apothecary, a robe shop, and many others. Gran however, led them past all the shops to a large, white building at the end of the street, which had the word 'Gringotts' over the door.

"Here we are," she said. "This is the wizard bank. We'll get some money out to buy your supplies."

"A wizard bank?" Mrs. Connon asked. "But Mum, we'll pay for Kiara's supplies. That is, if they take the same sort of money."

"No dear, they don't, although they do exchange money," Gran replied, "But Kiara will be able to buy her own school supplies. I opened an account for her when she was born. I did the same for you, dear, but I transferred it to a regular bank when I realized you weren't going to be a witch. Gringotts pays a generous interest on children's accounts and by now, Kiara has quite a tidy sum to her name. Let's go in, I have her key here." They followed Gran into the large, marble chamber and up to the counter.

"Um, Gran?" Kiara asked hesitantly, indicating the creatures working behind the counter. "What are these things, um, people?"

"They're goblins, dear," Gran replied. "They're not very friendly, but they're extremely clever. Very ideal for working in a bank." Gran stepped up to an unoccupied goblin at the counter. "Miss Kiara Connon wishes to make a withdrawal, as would I."

"Do you have your keys?" the goblin asked. Gran held them up and the goblin nodded in approval before signalling another goblin over. The second goblin led them to a little cart on rails, which took them on a wild ride down to the bank vaults. It stopped first at vault number four hundred and fifty-seven. The goblin took a key from Gran, opened the vault, and gestured for her to enter. Kiara was startled to see actual gold, silver, and bronze coins. Gran scooped a couple of handfuls into a bag and they rode the cart further down to vault number eight hundred and forty-six.

"Here we are, dear," Gran said, as she handed the other key to the goblin. "This is your own vault, Kiara. I would suggest that you take out about two hundred Galleons. Those are the gold coins. The silver ones are Sickles, and the bronze ones are Knuts. There are seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle." Kiara gaped. Inside the vault were sizeable piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Gran helped Kiara pile some of it into a bag and they went back up to the marble chamber. As they were leaving, Kiara saw a man with three boys enter. All four of them had vivid red hair. Two of the boys were older than Kiara, while the third looked to be a couple years younger. Kiara heard a fragment of their conversation.

"…like me to buy you for being made Prefect, Bill?" the man was asking the oldest boy. The boy's reply was lost in the noise and bustle of the bank. Outside, Gran led them to a shop called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. The shop appeared to be quite busy. Kiara saw a number of people being fitted for robes. Many of them appeared to be around eleven or so. As they stood waiting for their turn to be served, Kiara noticed a tall man talking to one of the witches who worked there. He was dressed in black robes and had black hair to match. He didn't seem very happy and also didn't seem very fond of the children in the shop. As he turned to leave, he nearly bumped into Kiara as she stood with her family.

"Excuse me," he said, somewhat ungraciously, passing them. As he met Kiara's eyes, his softened for a moment, then he stiffened and with a nod to Kiara's Gran, swept out of the shop. Gran led the way to one of the older women in the shop.

"Kiara, this is Madam Malkin. She owns the robe shop."

"Catherine! How nice to see you. How are you doing?" Madam Malkin asked Gran, giving her a hug. "And this is your grand-daughter?" Madam Malkin shook Kiara's hand. "Wonderful to see new Hogwarts students. Now, dear, just step onto this stool."

"Yes, ma'am," Kiara replied as she stepped up. The woman measured her from every imaginable angle, then said,

"Now then, your robes should be ready in about half an hour. Perhaps you can get some of your other shopping done in the meantime."

"Yes, thank-you," Kiara replied as she stepped off the stool. Gran led them around to the other shops, helping Kiara pick out her school supplies. Finally, all that were left to buy were Kiara's wand and an owl. Gran led them over to a shop called Ollivanders. The inside looked like a small bookshop, except the shelves were filled with long, narrow boxes instead of books.

"Hello," a white-haired man appeared from between two shelves. "Ah, Madam Sheppard, I haven't seen you in some years."

"It is nice to see you, Mr. Ollivander," Gran replied. "I'm here to help my grand-daughter pick out a wand."

"Ah yes, Miss Kiara Connon," Ollivander said. He thought for a moment, then pulled one of the boxes off a shelf. Opening it, he took out a wand and presented it to Kiara. "Give it a wave, Miss Connon." Kiara did, and was surprised when several more boxes came off the shelves, by themselves. "No, I don't believe that's it. Let's try another one." With that, Ollivander offered Kiara another wand. She went through the same process with several wands, each one causing some sort of havoc in the store. Finally, Ollivander pulled out a very old-looking box. He handed the wand to Kiara, who felt a warm glow suffuse her as she took it.

"Well, well," Ollivander said to Gran, "It seems your grand-daughter has a fair amount of magical potential. That is wood from a poplar tree with dragon heartstring. And if memory serves me correctly…"

"As it always does," Gran interjected with a smile.

"…this is one of the first ten wands that were made with dragon heartstring, one from each species. This one has Hungarian Horntail, to be precise. Wands powered by Horntail heartstrings tend to be fairly temperamental, much like the dragon itself, and such wands must invariably be owned by witches or wizards who have quite a bit of magical potential," Ollivander continued. Kiara, for her part, could only stare at the wand in her hand in awe. Ollivander packaged it up along with a wand-polishing kit, Gran helped Kiara pay, and they left the store. Next, Gran led them over to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

"Go on in, dear," she said to Kiara. "See if you find an owl that catches your fancy." Kiara saw several kinds of owls, but almost immediately, her eye fell on one of three handsome great horned owls. The other two looked like any other typical version of the great horned owls, while the one she was looking at was much paler. If not for the ear tufts, she might have mistaken it for a snowy owl.

"I'd like this one," Kiara said to her Gran and the shopkeeper.

"Ah, a very nice choice," the shopkeeper replied. "That is a sub-arctic version of the great horned owl, not often seen. He is also quite young, and very strong." Kiara and Gran paid for the owl and his cage, as well as basic owl supplies and a perch. As they left the shop, Gran asked,

"What will you name your owl?"

"I hadn't thought of that yet," Kiara replied. "Umm, I think I'll call him Jareth. Do you like it?" she asked the owl. He hooted softly, seemingly approving. "What do you think?" she asked her Gran.

"I just hope he won't be like that Jareth you're naming him after," Gran said with a smile. Kiara, remembering the movie the name came from, laughed. "Now, let's go pick up your robes. We can have dinner at the Leaky Cauldron, then we'll head home." After picking her robes up, Kiara and her parents followed Gran's suggestion of dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. They headed home just as twilight was settling over the country, tired but quite satisfied.

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Jareth is the name of the Goblin King (played by David Bowie) in the movie "Labyrinth".

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	3. The Hogwarts Express

Hello all! Here is chapter 3 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me. I'm not sure what Bill and Charlie Weasley's ages are supposed to be, so I made them to suit my story. Remember, AU story. In the words of Adam Savage (from the TV show "Mythbusters"): "I reject your reality and substitute my own". :)

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Chapter 3: The Hogwarts Express

The rest of Kiara's summer passed uneventfully. She spent much of her time reading her new books, only occasionally remembering to go outside and enjoy the summer. She found that she was particularly drawn to the Potions text. She felt that it could easily become her favourite subject. When she was not reading, however, or enjoying the outdoors, she found herself thinking about the dark-haired man she'd met that day in Diagon Alley. She wasn't sure why she was even curious about him, as he had not been very friendly and barely civil, but that curiosity was not satisfied in the least by her Gran's rather vague answers to her questions. All her Gran seemed willing to say was "You'll see". She also spent a lot of time with her new owl and she found she got along quite well with him. She soon realized that she could let him come and go as he chose, as he never failed to return, occasionally bringing 'presents' of field mice or other small creatures.

In what seemed like a few short days, the end of the summer had arrived. The night before she was to leave, Kiara packed her school stuff carefully in a new trunk that her Gran had gotten her, and settled Jareth into his cage.

On September first, the whole family was up early. Gran arrived just after breakfast to accompany Kiara and her parents to King's Cross in London. They got there with about fifteen minutes to spare. Kiara gave her parents and Gran hugs and kisses and went to get on the train. As she was dragging her trunk towards the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express, she was approached by two tall, redheaded boys.

"Hello," said the older of the two, "Need help with your trunk?"

"Hello," she replied, "Yes, please." The two picked up her trunk and placed it into a compartment. That done, they turned back to her.

"I'm Bill Weasley," the older boy said, offering his hand. "I'm in fifth year, and this is my brother Charlie, he's in his third year."

"Nice to meet you," Kiara replied, shaking their hands in turn. "I'm Kiara Connon."

"If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask," Bill said. "I'm a prefect, which gives me a little authority over the younger students. I put you in Charlie's compartment. I hope you don't mind, but the others are mostly full."

"Not a problem, and thanks," Kiara said. At this moment, the train sounded its boarding whistle. Kiara got into the compartment that she was sharing with Charlie Weasley and two of his friends. Charlie introduced the boy as Luke Jordan, and the girl as Alison Spinnet, both in third year.

As the Hogwarts Express steamed its way through the countryside, Kiara was content to sit and listen as the other three chatted about Quidditch. From their conversation, Kiara discovered what this wizard sport was like and also that Charlie and Alison were both on one of the house teams, Gryffindor. Charlie was the Seeker and Alison was one of the three Chasers. Every so often, the others made an attempt to include Kiara in the conversation. They bought lunch off a trolley pushed by a plump, grey-haired witch and continued their easy chatter, occasionally swapping bits of their lunches with one another.

Several hours later, as it was starting to get dark outside, the two boys left the compartment so that the girls could change into their Hogwarts robes. Then, the girls left to allow the boys to change. Soon after that, the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. The prefects, including Bill, directed the first years to leave their belongings on the train, and herded them towards a huge man at the end of the platform who was calling the first years. The huge man, who introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid, led them to a fleet of small boats. Kiara gasped along with the other first years as she caught sight of the castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid led them up to a stern-looking witch who, introducing herself as Professor McGonagall, explained the Sorting procedure to them, then led them into the Great Hall. Kiara saw that the older students were already in there and seated at the four long tables.

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I'll be steamrollering fairly quickly through Kiara's first years, only slowing down occasionally for a few choice moments. The really good parts will be _after_ she's grown up.

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	4. Sorting and Professors

Hello all! Here is chapter 4 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me. As with Bill and Charlie, I don't know what Snape's age is supposed to be, so again, I'm making it to suit my story. A hotter version of this story is going up at AdultFanFiction, although the differences won't be apparent until around chapter 22. My pen-name there is AnyuBoo.

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Chapter 4: Sorting and Professors

The first years were directed to stand in front of the head table where the professors were sitting. Kiara noticed that there was a stool in front of the table on which sat a very old, frayed hat. Once everyone was assembled, the Hat sang its sorting song and Professor McGonagall began calling names in alphabetical order. After a few students had been sorted, Professor McGonagall called,

"Connon, Kiara." Kiara walked up, sat on the stool, and placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Right away, she heard a small voice in her head.

"Ah, another fine mind," the voice said. "Very intelligent, yes, but not Ravenclaw. Very loyal too, but not Hufflepuff either. No, I sense courage in you, courage to do what you will, regardless of the opinions of others. I think you belong in GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat said the last word loud enough for the entire hall to hear. Those sitting at the Gryffindor table cheered as she walked over to join them. Charlie and his two friends from the train moved over to make room for her. She watched as the rest of the first years were sorted, cheering each time someone was placed in Gryffindor. Soon, all the first years were sorted and sitting at the four house tables. Professor Dumbledore stood up to welcome the students, explained the rules to the first years, and then invited them to begin the feast. Kiara was startled to see food appear out of nowhere, filling the plates and platters. There was a lull in the talking as everyone began eating. Kiara, now that the excitement of sorting was over, scanned the head table. She was startled to notice the man she'd seen in Diagon Alley sitting with the other professors. She spent the next few minutes trying to guess what subject he might teach, then turned to Charlie, who was sitting next to her.

"Charlie, could you tell me the names of the professors? And what they teach?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Kiara," he replied. "Professor Dumbledore is the Headmaster, and you've met Professor McGonagall."

"She's Deputy Headmistress, isn't she?" Kiara inquired.

"Yes, but she also teaches Transfiguration," Charlie replied, "And she's also head of Gryffindor house. Next to her is Professor Flitwick. He teaches Charms and he's head of Ravenclaw house. Next to him is Professor Clarke. He's the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and he's head of Slytherin house. The guy next to him is new. He's probably the new Potions Master, our old one retired at the end of last year. Next to him is Professor Sinistra. She teaches Astronomy. Sitting next to her is Professor Baxter. She teaches Study of Ancient Runes. That subject isn't available until third year, though. Next to her is Madam Pince. She's the librarian. The empty spot next to her is for Professor Trelawney. She teaches Divination, another subject not available until third year, but she almost never eats in the Great Hall. Now, on Professor Dumbledore's other side is Professor Sprout. She teaches Herbology and she's head of Hufflepuff house. Next to her is Madam Pomfrey. She's Hogwarts' resident Healer."

"My Gran was a Healer," Kiara interjected, "I guess she was Head Healer at St. Mungo's until just a few years ago."

"Your Gran is Madam Sheppard?" Charlie asked, surprised, "She was one of the best Healers at St. Mungo's. She's the one who trained Madam Pomfrey. Anyways, next to Madam Pomfrey is Professor Vector. He teaches Arithmancy. Next to him is Professor Woodrow. He teaches Muggle Studies. That and Arithmancy are both subjects that aren't available until third year. You've met Hagrid already. He's Hogwarts' gamekeeper. Next to him is Professor Kettleburn. He teaches Care of Magical Creatures, another third year and up subject. Next to him is Madam Hooch. She gives broomstick-flying lessons, and she's also the Quidditch coach. The empty spot there is for Mr. Filch. He's the caretaker, but he never eats with the rest of us either. You'll want to steer clear of him and that cat of his, Mrs. Norris. They love to try and catch students doing something wrong."

"Who teaches History of Magic?" Kiara asked. "I noticed that as being one of my subjects, but you never mentioned who that professor is."

"Oh, that would be Professor Binns," Charlie answered, "But he doesn't eat with us either. Mostly because he doesn't eat." Kiara looked perplexed at that.

"Professor Binns is a ghost," Luke said from across the table.

"A ghost?" Kiara said, both surprised and intrigued. "That's rather unusual, having a ghost teaching class. It seems like everything I thought belonged in fairy tales is turning out to be real."

"Where do you think Muggles got the ideas for those fairy tales in the first place?" Charlie asked with an amused smile. Kiara grinned back at him, then looked at the head table again. So the man from Diagon Alley was the new Potions Master. Next to so many older professors, he seemed unusually young. She turned back to Charlie.

"Do you know how old the Potions Master is?" she asked. "He seems awfully young to be a professor."

"I don't even know his name, let alone his age," Charlie replied. "But he could easily be older than he looks."

"He's twenty-three and his name is Professor Snape," came Bill's reply from further down the table. "I overheard him telling Professor Clarke. Apparently, he's just finished professor training."

"Oh," Kiara and Charlie said in unison. When the feast was done, Professor Dumbledore stood again and introduced the new Potions Master to the school as Professor Severus Snape, then he directed the students to their dorms. Bill, as the youngest of the Gryffindor prefects, led the first years up to Gryffindor Tower, gave them the password to the Fat Lady's portrait, and showed them where the dorms were.

Kiara spent a few moments getting acquainted with the five other girls in the dorm, Rosie Allen, Melanie Daniel, Cordelia Grantley, Wendy Rutherford, and Eugenie Verring. Rosie was barely taller than Kiara, with reddish-blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes. Melanie was taller, about halfway between Kiara and Cordelia in height, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Cordelia was a tall, thin girl, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was a quiet, steady sort of girl. Wendy was a little shorter, a bit plump, with red hair, and lots of freckles. She had green eyes, wore glasses, and seemed to love reading above all else. Eugenie was about the same height as Melanie. She had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes that looked almost black. Eugenie and Rosie were the bubbly ones of the bunch. All five were rather nice girls and, despite their differences, they became friends quickly. Cordelia was Muggle-born, Wendy and Eugenie came from a long line of wizarding families, and Melanie and Rosie were from mixed families. After they'd gotten ready for bed, Kiara spent a bit of time playing with her owl, Jareth, whose perch had been placed near her bed. She went to sleep that night feeling very content.

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	5. Professor Snape: Not So Mean?

Hello all! Here is chapter 5 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

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Chapter 5: Professor Snape: Not So Mean?

Kiara settled into a routine quickly. She found she loved Potions, seeming to have a natural talent for it, and she also did extremely well in Herbology. Her other strong subject was Broomstick Flying. She found herself completely at ease on a broomstick. So much so, that she decided that when and if a position came open on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, she would try out. In Charms she was average, but found that while she did ok with most of the spells, she just could not get the hang of levitation. In Transfiguration, she did ok with the basics, but she had a hard time with many of the more advanced charms. Her marks in Defence Against the Dark Arts were similar to Transfiguration. In book knowledge, she did very well. But here too, she had difficulty with the more advanced spells. Her Astronomy marks never went above average, and it was only her intense desire not to fail any of her classes that enabled her to stay awake in Binns' History of Magic classes.

In her first Astronomy class, Kiara found that she had an additional problem. She was getting very sleepy. Not normally one to stay up late, she was almost ready to drift off to sleep when class ended.

"Kiara, are you ok?" Melanie asked concernedly.

"I'm just ready to fall asleep," Kiara replied, slowly putting her things in her book bag. "I'll be all right once I get to bed."

"Ok, then. We'll see you back in the dorms," Melanie replied as she and the others left the Astronomy tower. Kiara slowly started to follow but she was getting more tired by the minute.

Down in the dungeons, Professor Snape was attempting to mark the first year essays he had assigned. After reading Kiara's essay and feeling some pleasure in seeing that he had at least one student who seemed to know what she was doing, he was getting more and more frustrated by the rest. After a while, he felt he had definitely earned a break and decided to go for a bit of a walk. He had just rounded the corner of the corridor that led to the Astronomy tower when he saw a small shape huddled at the bottom of the stairs. Recognizing the shape as student-sized, he sprinted forward, worried that someone might have fallen down. To his relief, the girl huddled there didn't appear to be injured, she was merely asleep. He reached down and gently shook her shoulder. She didn't wake but moved enough so that he recognized Kiara.

"Miss Connon, do wake up," he said, shaking her shoulder again. "This is hardly an appropriate place for sleep." Kiara mumbled something that sounded like 'asphodel', but didn't wake. Snape almost smiled, hearing that she appeared to be dreaming about Potions work.

"Miss Connon!" Snape said again, louder. Kiara was in a deep sleep, however, and refused to wake. With a sigh of exasperation, he grabbed her bag, slung it over one shoulder, then reached down and picked her up.

"_This girl is tiny_," he thought to himself. "_She barely weighs anything at all_." Walking quickly, but carefully, so as not to wake her, he took her to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Come in," came McGonagall's voice after he'd knocked softly. Snape walked in, still carrying Kiara. "Oh my! Severus, is she ok?"

"She seems perfectly fine," Snape replied. "The child is merely asleep. I found her at the bottom of the Astronomy tower stairs. Fortunately, she appears to have made it down those stairs before falling asleep. I thought I would bring her here as it would be highly inappropriate for me to be entering the Gryffindor girls' dorms."

"Thank you for bringing her, Severus," McGonagall replied, looking curiously at the Potions Master. With his sour attitude, a Gryffindor out of bed after curfew, asleep or not, would have been cause enough for him to take large amounts of points and give lengthy detentions. "I will take her from here," McGonagall continued. Snape gently handed Kiara and her book bag over and strode out of the office. McGonagall levitated Kiara up to her dorm, laid her on her bed, and placed the book bag on the floor beside her.

The next morning, Kiara woke to find herself on her bed, but still in the clothes she had worn the day before. She couldn't remember going up to bed. As she thought about it, she realized her last memory was leaving the Astronomy tower. She took a quick shower and put on a fresh uniform before heading down to breakfast.

"Hey, Melanie," Kiara said, sitting next to the dark haired girl, "Any idea what happened to me last night?"

"What do you mean?" Melanie asked.

"Well, I remember leaving Astronomy class, and then I was waking up in my bed, still wearing the clothes I wore yesterday."

"Well, I don't know exactly what happened, but my guess is that you must have fallen asleep somewhere on your way back, and Professor McGonagall must have found you. I woke up when she brought you in the dorm."

"Oh. I guess I'm _really_ not used to staying up late," Kiara said wryly. "I'll go thank her." With that, she walked up to the head table and stood before Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, Miss Connon?" McGonagall inquired. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to thank you for bringing me in last night. I'm not used to staying up late and must have fallen asleep on my way back from Astronomy class," Kiara said.

"You did indeed fall asleep, although fortunately you did so at the bottom of the tower stairs, rather than at the top," McGonagall replied, smiling slightly. "However, don't thank me. It was Professor Snape who found you and carried you to my office."

"Oh," Kiara said, startled. Then she walked over to Snape. "Thank you for bringing me to Professor McGonagall, sir. I suppose I'll be serving detention for being out of bed after curfew?"

"You're quite welcome, Miss Connon," Snape replied, "And no, I will not make you serve detention…this time. I understand you are not used to staying up that late."

"Oh, um, thank you, Professor," Kiara replied, smiling tentatively before walking back to her seat at the Gryffindor table. Snape, for his part, didn't understand why he was being so nice to a mere student, and a Gryffindor at that, but shrugged it off, attributing it to fatigue.

After that, Kiara started to see Professor Snape in a slightly different light. No one liked Snape and he, in turn, detested everyone. Everyone else thought he was merely a mean-spirited person. Kiara wasn't so certain. She thought there had to be more to it than that and resolved to talk to Professor Dumbledore about it. With that aim in mind one Saturday, she went to Professor McGonagall's office, knocked, and entered when invited to do so.

"Miss Connon," McGonagall asked, "What can I do for you?"

"Professor," Kiara began, "Would it be possible for me to see Professor Dumbledore?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Not really," Kiara replied. "I just wanted to ask him something, but it's kind of personal."

"Very well," McGonagall replied. "I happen to know that Professor Dumbledore is not very busy today. I'll take you to his office."

"Thank you, Professor," Kiara said gratefully as the two of them left the office. At the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office, McGonagall spoke the password and indicated that Kiara should go on up the stairs. She did, then knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice. Kiara entered the room and sat in the chair Dumbledore indicated. "What can I do for you, Miss Connon?"

"Well, sir," Kiara began hesitantly, "I wanted to ask about Professor Snape."

"Why ask me? Why not Professor Snape?"

"Well, sir," Kiara said, "He doesn't seem to like anyone. Despite what he did after my first Astronomy class, I get the impression that if I asked him a personal question, he'd just throw me out of his office." Dumbledore smiled at Kiara's perceptiveness.

"What would you like to know about Professor Snape?" he asked.

"Well, mostly I'd like to know what's made him so miserable," Kiara answered, "And not in the way most people would use the word."

"Ah," Dumbledore replied sadly, although he smiled at her phrasing. "The first question you ask, I cannot answer. I would be betraying a confidence."

"I understand, sir," Kiara said. "But your answer does suggest that I'm right in thinking that he's not the way he is because he's mean. He's unhappy?"

"Yes, child, you are right," Dumbledore replied. "I regret that I cannot tell you the reason."

"That's ok, sir," Kiara said with a smile. "It's enough to know that I was right. Makes his actions in class easier to understand, as well as tolerate." Dumbledore also smiled.

"You are fond of Potions, then?"

"Oh yes, I love that class. All the other Gryffindors hate it because of the things he says to us, but there's something about Potions that I love, no matter what he says."

"Very well, keep up the good work," Dumbledore said with a smile at her enthusiasm. "If you should discover Professor Snape's background, and you didn't hear it directly from him, do not discuss it with anyone else. Come see me right away."

"Yes, Professor."

"Now, off you go. I believe it is almost time for lunch."

Try as she might to learn something about Professor Snape, Kiara was unable to learn anything useful. After a few carefully manipulated conversations, she realized that it was unlikely that any of the other students knew. During the Christmas break when she went home, she asked her Gran about Professor Snape. Her Gran professed not to know anything about him, but her guarded way of replying indicated to Kiara that she knew more that she was letting on. After a few more months, she figured that those few who knew would probably be betraying his confidence if they said anything. She would have to learn the story from him, or not at all. She decided to wait. First year students did not march up to their professors and request their life stories. After all, patience was supposed to be a virtue.

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Snape? Nice? What's the world coming to?

Please review!


	6. Kiara's Second Year

Hello all! Here is chapter 6 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

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Chapter 6: Kiara's Second Year

The rest of Kiara's first year at Hogwarts passed fairly uneventfully. She spent most of her summer in the company of her friends. Her parents had given her permission to invite Rosie, Melanie, Cordelia, Wendy, and Eugenie over for a couple of weeks. Because Kiara's father was a doctor, her family was fairly well to do and the house was big enough to accommodate the five guests. Also, the back yard was equipped with that all-important of summer amenities: a pool. The girls spent endless hours outside, swimming and occasionally doing their summer assignments.

After the girls had gone back home, Kiara was startled by the arrival of a fairly decrepit old owl. It bore an invitation for her to go to the Burrow, which was the Weasley home, for a week in August. It was signed by Charlie, with a note from his mother suggesting that they take Kiara with them when they go shopping in Diagon Alley. With Gran's recommendations, Kiara's parents agreed.

Kiara enjoyed her stay at the Burrow, where she met Bill and Charlie's younger siblings. Percy had just turned ten, Fred and George, who were twins, were eight, Ron was six, and Ginny, the youngest and only girl, had recently turned five. She found the antics of the twins particularly amusing. She also became very fond of Mrs. Weasley, who seemed to treat all children as her own. Her trip to Diagon Alley with them was fairly uneventful, if a bit chaotic.

A week after returning home, it was time for the trip back to Hogwarts. Kiara sat in a compartment with Rosie, Melanie, Cordelia, Wendy, and Eugenie, while Charlie, Luke, and Alison were in the next one over. Halfway to the school, Charlie entered their compartment.

"How about it, Kiara?" he asked. Kiara looked at him, puzzled.

"How about what, Charlie?" Wendy asked.

"Quidditch!" he replied, as if that were enough. Seeing the looks on their faces, he added, "We need a new Chaser, remember? Kiara, will you be trying out? As tiny as you are, you'd probably make a great Seeker but, seeing as we already have one..." he grinned.

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that. Sure, I'll try out," Kiara replied.

"Great!" Charlie answered and went back to his compartment.

At Hogwarts, Kiara settled back into her routine quickly. At the end of September, when Quidditch try-outs were announced, she went out and found she'd not lost any of her skills on a broomstick over the summer. She was quickly chosen as their newest Chaser. Thanks to good study habits, she found that adding Quidditch practice to her schedule caused no problems at all. As their previous Chaser had also been team Captain, they chose Charlie to be their new Captain. They won their first game against Ravenclaw easily.

Kiara still wondered about Professor Snape, but figured it was unlikely that she'd ever know. She did, however, make an effort to inject some warmth and friendliness to her voice whenever she talked to him. She figured that with just about everyone else hating him, a little kindness might go a long way. The rest of her second year also passed uneventfully. Soon, it was time for her, along with all the other second year students, to choose two new classes for next year. Kiara quickly decided that Divination, Arithmancy, Study of Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies did not interest her. However, that left her with only one class to choose, Care of Magical Creatures, and she was supposed to pick two. As she sat with her friends, trying to decide, she was startled to hear herself being summoned to Professor Snape's office. When she got down there, Snape indicated that she sit in one of the chairs.

"Miss Connon, have you decided which classes you will be taking next year?" he asked without preamble.

"No, sir," Kiara replied, "At least, not entirely. I've picked Care of Magical Creatures, but none of the other subjects interest me."

"I see. Would you be at all interested in Advanced Potions, if it were offered?"

"Of course! I'd like nothing better. Potions is my favourite subject," Kiara replied.

"Excellent," Snape said. "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to create an Advanced Potions class for those few who are talented."

"Thank you, Professor," Kiara said.

"You may wish to wait before thanking me, Miss Connon," Snape replied. "The work will not be easy."

"I look forward to it," Kiara said, smiling. Her sincerity startled Snape into almost returning the smile. Kiara doubted that anyone else would have noticed, but she did, and she gave him another bright smile before leaving the office.

The last few days of school passed quickly, and once again, Kiara found herself on the Hogwarts Express, heading towards King's Cross.

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Hmm, Advanced Potions (my own creation, but hey, it's an Alternate Universe fic)…things get interesting…

Please review!


	7. Kiara's Third Year

Hello all! Here is chapter 7 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

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Chapter 7: Kiara's Third Year

Kiara's second summer home from Hogwarts passed much the same as the first one. She worked on her assignments and visited with her friends and the Weasley family. Percy was getting ready to start first year at Hogwarts, while Bill was his mother's current favourite, having been selected to be Head Boy.

The summer passed quickly and she soon found herself back at King's Cross. Once again, she spent the trip chatting with her friends and with Charlie and the other members of the Quidditch team. Percy sat in a compartment near them with two other boys. One introduced himself as Oliver Wood and the other was Marcus Flint. Kiara thought that Oliver was nice, but she was less than impressed with Marcus, who seemed to have a perpetual arrogant sneer on his face.

At Hogwarts, she saw that they had a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Clarke having retired at the end of the previous year. Professor Snape was now the head of Slytherin house and the new professor, who seemed almost as young as Professor Snape, was Professor Quirrell.

Kiara settled into her routine quickly. She found Advanced Potions to be challenging, but she enjoyed every minute of it. She also decided that hidden somewhere behind Professor Snape's surly exterior, there was a much more likable person and started to actually like him. Professor Snape, for his part, had thought that he detested all Gryffindors, but he found himself getting along with Kiara better than any of his other students. He decided that he didn't actually _like_ the girl, it was merely pride in a student who was doing so well in his class. Although he continued to mark her work extra hard, she persisted in getting top marks, in the Advanced Potions class as well as the regular one.

Every so often, Professor Dumbledore sat in on the Advanced Potions class. Since it was a newly created class, he was curious to see how it was coming along. One day, after Kiara and the others left, he spoke to Professor Snape.

"This Advanced Potions class seems to have been a good idea," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape replied. "And so long as only those who get top marks in the regular class are allowed in this one, it will continue to be a good class."

"I see you are growing to like Miss Connon. It is good to see you getting along with at least some of your students," Dumbledore said.

"It would be highly inappropriate for me to like Miss Connon," Snape replied. "She is but a child."

"Now, now, I did not mean to imply that you had inappropriate feelings towards the child," Dumbledore said. "Merely that you are fond of her. She is, after all, one of your best students."

"I am proud to have such a student in my class, Headmaster," Snape said stiffly, "But I am not fond of her."

"As you wish, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile. As he watched Dumbledore leave the Potions classroom, Snape felt vaguely uneasy. It was as if Dumbledore knew something he didn't. After a moment, he shook his head at his foolishness. Dumbledore always knew things no one else did.

Kiara found that her other new class, Care of Magical Creatures, was also great fun. Professor Kettleburn taught them about a wide variety of magical animals. Kiara found that she got along very well with most of them.

Kiara also continued as one of the Gryffindor team's Chasers. They did very well, winning many of their games. Kiara was a very good Chaser, but it was Charlie's phenomenal flying abilities as Seeker that enabled them to win their games. The others on the team all felt that Charlie should go on to become a professional Quidditch player when he was done school. Charlie on the other hand, much as he loved Quidditch, appeared to be even more interested in Care of Magical Creatures. He consistently scored top marks in that class and spent much of his free time deep in conversation with either Professor Kettleburn or Hagrid.

As it often happens when one is enjoying oneself, Kiara's third year passed quickly. She managed to score top marks in Potions, Advanced Potions, Herbology, Flying Lessons, and Care of Magical Creatures. Soon, she found herself on the Hogwarts Express, heading home fore the summer.

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What does Dumbledore know that Snape doesn't? Hmm…

Please review!


	8. Does Kiara Like Charlie?

Hello all! Here is chapter 8 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

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Chapter 8: Does Kiara Like Charlie?

Once again, Kiara's summer passed quickly. She spent much of it in the company of her friends. She exchanged frequent letters with Charlie, as well as the other team members. They all wondered who their new Keeper would be, the last one having just graduated from Hogwarts. Kiara's friends, Rosie, Melanie, Cordelia, Wendy, and Eugenie, often teased her about the frequent letters from Charlie. All five of them had a crush on either him or Bill and they couldn't believe that Kiara didn't. To them, her protests were nothing more than her attempts to keep her 'true' feelings hidden. Kiara, for her part, couldn't quite understand it. Charlie was very nice, quite good-looking, in great physical shape thanks to Quidditch, and also smart. She knew many girls at school did have a crush on him, and on Bill, and she couldn't figure out why she didn't.

"He's one of my best friends," she thought to herself. "Maybe that's it. You don't have crushes on your best friends." With that comfortably settled, Kiara went about getting herself ready for her fourth year at Hogwarts. The train ride was delayed this year thanks to a large flock of sheep on the track, not too far from Hogsmeade, causing them to arrive nearly an hour late. Even the Sorting Hat must have somehow understood that they were all very hungry, as it went through the sorting procedure unusually quickly.

Once at school, Kiara settled into her fourth year routine quickly. She was particularly happy to be back in Potions class, both the regular and the advanced. Every so often, a sudden, bright smile from her nearly elicited a response from Snape, though he continued to maintain that he did not like any of his students and was merely proud of Kiara's potion-making abilities.

When the Quidditch season began, the Gryffindor team held their tryouts for the Keeper position. There were several hopefuls, but by far the best was Oliver Wood, who was in his second year. They felt that with a bit of practice, he'd be even better than their previous Keeper had been. Once again, they won many of their games. Kiara, when she wasn't with her five friends, spent most of her free time with the Gryffindor team members. Her friends continued to tease her about Charlie, convinced that Kiara sat in on so many team meetings just to be near him. For her part, Kiara made an effort to watch Charlie, as well as several other boys, to see whether or not there were any who interested her in a boyfriend sort of way. There were several with whom she got along fairly well and liked as friends, but she did not seem to have romantic feelings for any of them.

"Ok, well maybe I'm just not old enough yet," she told her friends one day at lunch, "I mean, not all fourteen year old girls have boyfriends."

"Yes, but you're one of the prettiest girls in the school," Wendy replied, "There are any number of guys who'd love to have you as their girlfriend." Kiara _had_ blossomed during the last couple years. Her figure had curves, instead of straight lines, although she was still petite. Her hair was very long, reaching below her hips. It was still pale blonde, and it always looked soft and shiny. Her eyes were big and luminous and, since she was very rarely angry, usually a deep lavender colour, framed by long lashes that were several shades darker than her hair.

"Well, I guess they'll just have to wait, won't they," Kiara said with a smile, "I mean, I haven't got the foggiest clue as to who I might eventually want to date. I guess maybe I haven't found the 'right' one yet." The girls grumbled good-naturedly as they got up to go to their next classes. Without realizing it, Kiara glanced up towards the front of the Great Hall. The other girls had already turned to go, but Cordelia noticed. She thought at first that Kiara had glanced to the head table, but realised that it was much more likely that it was at one of the boys sitting further down at the Gryffindor table, so she didn't say anything, preferring to wait until she could figure out who it was that had caught Kiara's eye.

Over the course of several months, Cordelia kept a close eye on Kiara, catching her glancing towards the front of the Great Hall several times. She was able to scratch several boys off her list of 'suspects', as sometimes they sat at the opposite end of the table. By the end of the year, only six boys were left on the list, including Charlie, plus the professors at the head table whom Cordelia immediately dismissed, even the two youngest ones. Of the six boys, two were graduating, so Cordelia decided to wait until September before continuing her observations. On the train home, she decided that her new campaign would be to watch Kiara around each of the remaining four boys and see her reactions.

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Kiara and Charlie? He's only two years older than her…

Please review!


	9. A Smile in Potions Lab Almost

Hello all! Here is chapter 9 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to _kendercurrent_ for the kind review. Much appreciated. :)

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Chapter 9: A Smile in Potions Lab - Almost

Kiara spent most of her summer fielding questions from her friends. Cordelia had told the other girls about her suspicions and all five of them bombarded Kiara with questions about the four boys remaining on Cordelia's list. Kiara, although perplexed as to why her friends were so interested in these boys in particular, answered honestly. Three of the boys, one of whom was Charlie, she thought were rather nice and she liked them well enough. The fourth, she did not care for all that much. Cordelia, Wendy, Eugenie, Rosie, and Melanie, delighted that their field had narrowed again, crossed that boy's name off and concentrated on the remaining three. They decided, however, to leave off asking any more questions until after school started again.

When her usual letter from school arrived, Kiara was startled to see that, along with her list of books and equipment, there was a shiny, silver badge with the letter 'P' on it. Her friends squealed with delight when they heard that she'd been chosen as the newest Gryffindor prefect.

On September first, she was at King's Cross rather early, determined to be available to any younger student who might need help. Once on the train, she attended the Prefects' meeting, and then spent the rest of the time alternating between chatting with her friends, patrolling the corridors, and trying to keep Fred and George Weasley, and their friend Lee Jordan, who were starting their first year, out of trouble.

After settling into her usual routine at Hogwarts, Kiara was startled one day when, looking at the notice board in the Gryffindor common room, she saw a note about Potions labs. The note stated that, starting the following Saturday, the Potions lab would be open every Saturday morning to all students in fifth year or higher, from five in the morning until seven. That Friday night, Kiara set her alarm clock to four-thirty in the morning. The next morning, when Snape walked into the Potions Lab, he expected to find no one there, as he had for the past several years. He was a bit startled, therefore, to see Kiara at one of the workbenches, quietly setting out utensils. She noticed him enter the room and gave him her usual bright smile.

"Good morning, Professor," she said, still smiling.

"Good morning, Miss Connon," he replied, looking surprised still.

"You look surprised, sir," she said. "Doesn't anyone else make use of these labs?"

"You are the first," he said, as he walked up to the board. "It seems no one else is willing to get up so early on a Saturday morning, not even to better their chances at their OWLs or NEWTs."

"What should I work on, Professor?" Kiara asked.

"You may consider this a free period, Miss Connon," Snape replied. "You can work on something you've been having trouble with or, if you have an idea you wish to try out, you may experiment."

"Thank you, sir," Kiara said happily. "I think you can count on me being here every Saturday morning." As he sat down at his desk to supervise her work, Snape once again almost smiled. He told himself that he was merely pleased that she was dedicated enough to her work to be willing to give up her Saturday mornings.

After that, Kiara's Saturdays were very busy. First, she went to Potions lab, then, weather permitting, she had Quidditch practice or a game, and finally, her friends usually cornered her with questions about Charlie or the other two boys who remained on Cordelia's list. By the time Easter break came around, Cordelia was able to scratch one more name off the list after contriving to have him help Kiara with a difficult Charms essay. While Kiara was grateful for the help, Cordelia could see that there were none of the undercurrents there that indicated particular regard. Having narrowed the list down to Charlie, who was now in seventh year, and one other boy, who was in sixth year, Kiara's five friends were increasingly convinced that it was Charlie who Kiara secretly liked. However, the end of the year and their OWL exams arrived without them being able to prove it and Charlie was graduating. They decided that the following year would be decisive. If it really was Charlie, Kiara would be pining for him, and if she didn't pine, well, there was only one other boy on the list.

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Kiara's friends are really determined, aren't they:)

Please review!


	10. Who Does Kiara Like?

Hello all! Here is chapter 10 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

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Chapter 10: Who Does Kiara Like?

That summer, Kiara was a bit relieved to note that her friends had decided to leave her alone about Charlie and the other boys. She exchanged several letters with Charlie and discovered that instead of becoming a professional Quidditch player, Charlie had decided to go to Romania to study dragons. In mid-July, along with her usual letter from Hogwarts, Kiara received her OWL marks. She did extremely well in Potions, getting top mark in both the regular class and the advanced. She also got O's in Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. Her marks in her other classes were just high enough that she was able to continue her studies towards becoming a Potions researcher, possibly even a professor.

On September first, she met her friends at King's Cross. They spent the train ride and the next several weeks watching Kiara closely. After nearly a month had gone by, they determined that Kiara didn't seem to be pining for Charlie. They decided that the final name on the list _must_ be the boy Kiara was interested in.

When the Quidditch season began again, Kiara, now the senior member on the team, called for tryouts. With the exception of Keeper and one Chaser who was in seventh year, the team needed players to fill all the other positions, since Kiara had decided not to play any more. She wanted to spend more time doing Potions work. Kiara named the Keeper, Oliver Wood, now in fourth year, as Captain, then the two set about picking new team members. Fred and George Weasley, now in their second year, both tried out and worked so well as a team that they were given the Beater positions. Alison Spinnet's younger sister, Alicia, took over her sister's former position of Chaser. The other Chaser was Angelina Johnson. Both girls were in second year. A seventh year boy was picked as Seeker. He was nowhere near as good as Charlie, but was the only one who tried out for the position.

Several months passed with Kiara's friends still working to figure out who it was that Kiara kept glancing at. By Christmas, they were able to rule out the boy whose name was the last one on Cordelia's list. The girls were a little disappointed but didn't allow the setback to stop them. They decided to wait. They'd been required to have dress robes that year, but as yet, had not had an occasion to wear them to, so they decided that an event that required dress robes might just give them the clues they needed.

Soon the Christmas break had begun and they were getting ready to leave. That morning, as Kiara was dragging her trunk down the stairs to the entrance hall, she felt a pair of strong hands lift it out of her grasp. Startled, she looked up into the amused face of Professor Snape.

"Really Miss Connon, we must work on those levitating spells if at sixth year you are still dragging your trunk by hand," he said, still amused. Kiara merely nodded, astonished. Amusement was not a look she had ever seen on the Potions Master's face. For his part, he almost grinned at her bewilderment and carried her trunk out to the waiting carriages. Bemused, Kiara followed. Snape put her trunk on one of the carriages, nodded slightly to her, and strode back into the castle. Kiara climbed into the carriage and found the girls waiting for her, their expressions a mixture of astonishment and amusement.

"Hey Kiara," Rosie began with a grin, "I think Professor Snape fancies you." Kiara snapped out of the near-trance she was in to answer.

"Nonsense, Rosie. He probably just didn't want to be saddled with having to deal with a student who'd missed the carriages." Kiara sighed, "I do need to work on mastering those blasted levitating spells though. Would be nice not to have to drag my trunk everywhere."

"I still think he fancies you," Rosie persisted. "Every normal red-blooded man has noticed you."

"That's just it," Melanie interjected, grinning, "Most people don't think he's anything even resembling 'normal'." All the girls giggled at that. They spent the carriage and train ride chatting and giggling. Rosie persisted in saying that Professor Snape fancied Kiara. She and the others spent a good portion of the trip teasing their friend.

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There doesn't seem to be a Christmas Ball, so what event might warrant dress robes? And those girls are _still_ at it…

Please review!


	11. Christmas

Hello all! Here is chapter 11 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 11: Christmas

Back home in Whitstable, Kiara enjoyed spending time with her parents and her Gran. On Christmas morning, her Gran took her into the back yard where she surprised Kiara with a small greenhouse attached to a shed, which looked, from the outside, like a regular potting shed with two small windows. Inside, however, Kiara was delighted to find a small, but complete, Potions lab. Her Gran had even stocked it with a number of Potions supplies. Kiara poked her nose in all the cupboards and looked into the greenhouse, which was also stocked with planting supplies and even had a few plants already growing. Kiara turned back to her Gran who was grinning at her.

"Wow, Gran, this is incredible!" Kiara exclaimed, giving her Gran a hug.

"Only the best for _my_ grand-daughter," Gran replied. "Besides, it was Professor Snape who told me how good you were at Potions. Here is a small package from him." Kiara was startled to see that. Unbidden, Rosie's comments about Professor Snape came back to her. She shrugged it off, deciding that since she really was very good at Potions, Snape was just glad to finally teach someone who was both good at Potions and liked it. She opened the parcel to find some Potions ingredients that were obviously from his private stores. There was also a book titled Levitating Made Easy and a note from Snape:

_Miss Connon,_

_This book should help you correct the problem you are having _

_with_ _levitating spells. Although you are not yet seventeen, and the _

_Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery still applies _

_to_ _you, I have obtained permission for you to practise magic outside the _

_school, as long as you restrict it to levitating spells. Therefore, I would _

_like_ _you to begin practising the spells in this book. I recommend _

_starting_ _with cushions and other non-breakable items. Also, upon your _

_return_ _to school, I expect you to report to my office every Friday after _

_last_ _class to go over what you have learned._

_S. Snape_

Kiara was stunned. She had no idea why he was being so nice, but welcomed the chance to improve herself at levitating charms. She also got a number of gifts from her parents. Some were books and school supplies that Gran had helped them buy for her. They also gave her a set of amethyst jewellery, which went nicely with the lavender dress robes she had chosen.

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Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, several of the Hogwarts staff were unwrapping presents from Kiara. Professor Dumbledore got a 'stereotypical' wizard hat that Kiara had asked her Gran to buy at a Muggle costume shop. There was also a similar hat for Professor Flitwick. Her gift for Professor McGonagall was a small, golden brooch in the shape of a cat, with red stones for the eyes. For Professor Sprout, she got a set of small, self-cleaning potting tools. For Madam Pomfrey, there was a book on Muggle healing as seen from the wizard's point-of-view and for Professor Quirrell, she got a book on strange and unusual Muggle creatures. Finally, for Hagrid she got a dragon painting, as well as a rawhide bone for Fang. Snape was somewhat startled to find a present from her for him as well. He opened it to find a small, silver, apple-shaped paperweight. The stem was pointed, to hold bits of paper, there was a hole in it, designed to hold a quill, and it was hinged to open in the middle. Inside, there was an inscription, which read: _Happy Christmas Professor Snape_, _from Kiara Connon_. Feeling unaccountably pleased, he put it on his desk in the classroom and placed his favourite quill in the holder.

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Kiara will now have lessons with Snape………

…in his office………

…_alone_………

**grin**

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	12. Dumbledore's Announcement

Hello all! Here is chapter 12 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 12: Dumbledore's Announcement

The rest of the holidays passed peacefully. Kiara, as per Snape's request, started practising levitating small items around the house, mostly cushions of various sizes. All too soon, she found herself back on Platform 9 ¾. She spent the trip back to Hogwarts chatting with her friends. When she told them that Snape had given her Potions stuff from his own stores, a book, and private lessons once a week, Rosie was convinced that she'd been right and that Snape fancied Kiara.

"Lessons with him? _Alone_ in his office?" Rosie said mischievously. "Now I _know_ he likes you."

"Will you knock it off?" Kiara replied, exasperated. "He does _not_ fancy me. I'm a student, he's a professor. It would really be completely inappropriate." After teasing her a bit, Kiara and her friends turned to a new topic. They had been required to have dress robes, but as yet, had not had an occasion to wear them to. They spent the remainder of the trip speculating about what event might happen that year that would warrant dress robes.

One Saturday at dinner, shortly after classes resumed, Professor Dumbledore announced that there would be a Valentine's Day dance for all those in fourth year and up, including the professors. There was a great deal of talking as the students left the Great Hall to go back to their common rooms.

"Well girls," Kiara began, "I guess here's the reason for having dress robes."

"I wonder if any guys will ask us to go to the dance with them," Melanie said, as they were walking towards Gryffindor tower.

"Well, they'll be asking Kiara for sure," Rosie said, grinning. "Any number of them want her to be their girlfriend. Of course, she won't want to go with any of the _boys_, she'll want to go with a _man_."

"Rosie, what _are_ you on about?" Wendy asked.

"Professor Snape, of course!" Rosie replied, still grinning. "He'll probably ask Kiara to go with him."

"Of course he won't," Kiara replied. "He's still a professor, he can't fraternize with a student."

"Aha! So you admit you think he likes you, though," Rosie persisted.

"I _didn't_ say that!" Kiara replied, exasperated with her friend. The others just laughed.

"Come on," Eugenie said, "Let's go look over our dress robes."

"There's still a month before the dance, Eugenie," Kiara protested.

"I know, but we _do_ want to make sure we have everything we need, don't we?" Eugenie persisted.

"What do you mean?" Rosie asked.

"Well, we all have our dress robes," Eugenie replied. "But do we all have the right shoes? Jewellery? Make-up? Hairpieces? And besides, I don't think we've even shown each other our dress robes yet. It's something to pass the time and if we find we're missing anything, we can make a list of stuff to buy on our next Hogsmeade weekend." Kiara and the others relented and the six girls made their way to their dorm room. They spent the rest of the evening trying on their dress robes and seeing which items of jewellery they had that would go best with them. The other girls determined that they absolutely _had_ to buy decent jewellery and envied Kiara for the amethyst jewellery her parents had given her for Christmas. All the girls decided that none of the shoes they had were appropriate for dancing. They stayed up late that night, making out a shopping list and giggling as they tried to imagine which boys might ask them to the dance.

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Valentine's Day…romance…and don't those girls _ever_ give up? (grin)

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	13. Levitation Charms

Hello all! Here is chapter 13 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 13: Levitation Charms

The first Friday after returning to school, Kiara went down to Professor Snape's office right after her last class of the day was finished. She knocked, heard Snape's voice say "Enter", and walked in. She was surprised at how comfortable the office looked. Although the walls and floor were stone, there was a rug on the floor and several nice, landscape paintings on the walls. Snape's desk and bookshelves were cherry wood and there was also a small couch in between two of the bookcases.

"Well, Miss Connon," Snape began. "Are you ready to show me the results of your practice over the Christmas break?"

"Yes, sir," Kiara replied. "I haven't tried to levitate anything heavy yet, but I did ok with the cushions…most of the time."

"Very well, there are a couple of cushions on the couch," Snape said. "You may begin with them." Kiara spent the next hour in Snape's office, levitating various objects as he observed her wand movements, correcting her when needed. After the cushions, she levitated scrolls of various sizes and finally, a small book.

"That will do for tonight," Snape said at the end of the session. "With any luck, by the time you need to take your trunk anywhere, you will be able to levitate it for yourself."

"Thank you, Professor," Kiara replied. "May I ask why you are taking such trouble to teach me?"

"I merely do not wish to have to carry your trunk again," Snape retorted, but his voice was less biting than usual. "And enamoured of you some the boys at school might be, but it seems common courtesy is not so common among them." Kiara couldn't help but giggle at the way he phrased that. Snape tried to look irritable at that, but he wasn't entirely successful and Kiara saw the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "On your way now or you will miss dinner," he added. Kiara went to dinner feeling hopeful that she would finally master what was essentially a basic, beginner's charm. Her stomach was a bit fluttery, so she hurried to go eat, attributing the feeling to hunger.

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January passed fairly uneventfully. Kiara continued to go to Snape's office for levitation lessons every Friday. Snape was a bit more pleasant to her when there was no one else around. It seemed to Kiara that they had something which, if they hadn't been teacher and student, could almost be called friendship. She avoided mentioning that to her friends, though, knowing that such a statement would be all Rosie would need to tease her mercilessly for the rest of the year. As nervous boys began asking increasingly giggly girls to the dance, Rosie, Melanie, Cordelia, Wendy, and Eugenie kept a close eye on Kiara. However, while they quickly got themselves dates for the dance, Kiara kept turning down those who asked her. Each time the girls asked her why, all Kiara could say was that it didn't feel right. Kiara finally decided to go to the dance alone. She would dance if someone asked her, otherwise she would be content to sit and chat with her friends. Before they knew it, the first week of February had passed. The next day was a Saturday and a Hogsmeade weekend.

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Short, I know, but I wanted the Hogsmeade trip in its own chapter.

Please review!


	14. Shopping in Hogsmeade

Hello all! Here is chapter 14 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 14: Shopping in Hogsmeade

Kiara and her friends were up early on Saturday, eager to go shopping. Kiara, like many girls, loved to shop. The other girls, while they also loved shopping, had definite plans. Once in Hogsmeade, Kiara joined her friends in the jewellery store. She helped Melanie pick out a small sapphire pendant with matching earrings, which would go well with Melanie's blue velvet dress robes. Rosie's choice was an amber pendant with a matching bracelet, since she didn't wear earrings. Cordelia bought a pearl choker necklace with matching bracelet, which would contrast nicely with her rich brown robes. Wendy limited herself to a pair of emerald drop earrings that matched her green robes, while Eugenie got herself a set of garnet jewellery to match her dark, wine-red robes.

Next, the girls went shopping for shoes. After trying on a number of different shoes, all six agreed that the only pair that combined good looks _and_ comfort was the soft, ballet-style one. Kiara ordered a pair in pale lavender, Melanie wanted dark blue, and Rosie got a pair that was a light amber colour, almost perfectly matching her dress robes. Cordelia ordered hers in a brown that was a shade darker than her robes, and Wendy and Eugenie had theirs match their dress robes.

Their next stop was the hair salon. Melanie decided to have her hair trimmed a little and bought a blue, tiara-like headband. The others declined having their hair cut or styled. Kiara decided that she would leave her hair loose for the ball, while Rosie bought a pair of amber combs. Cordelia and Wendy decided they had hairpieces with which to style their hair already, while Eugenie bought a device that would enable her to do her hair up in a complicated, coiled twist. Finally, the girls dragged Kiara off to buy make-up.

"But…you know I don't usually wear make-up," Kiara protested.

"Of course," Rosie replied. "And we're not trying to imply that you _need_ to wear make-up, but we have an idea. Just a few things, for highlight." With that, they bustled about, picking out various things. They got some sparkling lip-gloss for each of them, as well as a tube of sparkling gel. The other girls added a few more things to their pile of purchases, including a bit of eye shadow and nail polish, then finally allowed Kiara to drag them off to the bookstore. The girls visited nearly every shop in Hogsmeade before returning to the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer.

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Short again, but they didn't do all _that_ much in Hogsmeade. The next chapter will be longer.

Please review!


	15. The Valentine's Day Ball

Hello all! Here is chapter 15 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 15: The Valentine's Day Ball

Finally, the day of the ball arrived. Since Dumbledore had cancelled classes for that day, most of the students were outside, enjoying what was likely to be the last snow that winter. Shortly after lunch, the girls retreated upstairs to get ready for the ball. After showering and performing drying spells on their hair, they began applying make-up on one another. Kiara limited hers to a touch of mascara, a bit of the sparkles on her eyelids and cheeks, and the sparkling lip-gloss. She applied a touch of perfume and put on her shimmering, lavender dress robes. Completing her outfit with her jewellery and shoes, she was the first of the six to be done. She helped the other five with their hair and jewellery, and they were ready to go just as the students from the first three years returned from dinner.

The girls let everyone else go before them, being one of the last ones to enter the Great Hall. The whole place was decorated with pink, red, and white hearts, and there were cupids floating in and out amongst fluffy white clouds, which were drifting near the enchanted ceiling. Although the head table was there, the four house tables had been replaced by smaller round ones. Kiara sat with her friends and their dates. Instead of their meal appearing on its own, they had menus in front of them. Anything they read out loud from the menu appeared on their plates. Kiara and her friends spent the dinner chatting with their tablemates, as well as several others at nearby tables. With many of the girls and several of the boys eager to start dancing, dinner was over fairly quickly. At that point, Dumbledore gestured for everyone to stand, then waved his wand. The round tables and chairs disappeared, to be replaced by a row of chairs and benches along the walls.

"Ah, now that we have ourselves a dance floor, it is time to dance," Dumbledore began. "I would like to see everyone dance this first dance, but I see that one or two of you have chosen to come without dates. Would everyone who does not have a partner, please come to the front." Kiara joined the few others who were there without dates. "Perhaps," Dumbledore continued, "To avoid confusion, it would be best if I paired you up myself." And without further ado, he proceeded to do just that. After he was done, only Kiara was left. "Miss Connon," Dumbledore said to her, "There seems to be no one left to pair you with."

"That's ok, sir," Kiara replied, "I don't mind sitting out."

"No, no, that won't do," Dumbledore replied, looking around. "I did say that everyone was to dance the first dance." He spotted Snape still sitting at his seat, trying without success to become invisible. Eyes twinkling, Dumbledore beckoned to him. "Ah, Severus, just the person. I'm sure you wouldn't mind dancing with this young lady." Snape glanced darkly at the Headmaster before walking over to stand in front of Kiara, holding one hand out to her.

"Miss Connon, may I have this dance?" he asked, bowing slightly.

"Of course," Kiara replied, with an almost instinctive curtsey, and placed her hand in his.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling, and waved his wand. "Seeing as it is Valentine's Day, we must have romantic music." Kiara was slightly startled by Dumbledore's choice of music. It was the 'Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet'. She allowed Snape to lead her away, surprised and pleased at how gracefully he danced. When the dance ended, before they could separate, Dumbledore spoke again.

"Now of course, we must all dance to the world's most popular waltz." With that, the sounds of the 'Blue Danube' filled the room.

"Do you know how to waltz, Miss Connon?" Snape asked her.

"Yes sir," she replied, pleased. "I love waltzes." Once again, he led her through the steps of the dance. After the first two dances, they parted company. Kiara's friends, in between dances with their own dates, kept watching Kiara. She danced almost every dance, but they saw her cast glances, seemingly at random, throughout the Great Hall. Once again, it was Cordelia who noticed where those glances were tending. At first, she didn't want to believe it. It was too extraordinary. But as she sat down to think about it, Cordelia realized it was the truth. After all, with the exception of herself and the other girls, this was the person Kiara spent the most time with. Cordelia decided not to tell anyone. It was still possible that this was just a result of having danced with him earlier. Also, maybe Kiara herself didn't realize her feelings and it wasn't likely that anyone would believe her. Besides, it also didn't seem likely that he returned Kiara's feelings in any way, or that they would ever get together. Now that she realized what was going on, Cordelia recognized the yearning look in Kiara's eyes each time she danced with someone else knowing, perhaps subconsciously, that she wasn't going to dance with _him_ again. Unknown to Cordelia, someone else had also noticed Kiara's glances. Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with pleasure as he regarded Kiara and saw where she was glancing. He also saw what Cordelia didn't: that when Kiara wasn't looking, her glances were being returned. He felt she would be good for the one in question, assuming they ever admitted their feelings and acted on it. He resolved to watch the two of them for the rest of the year.

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From the movie made in 1960-something, by Nino Rota, as performed by André Rieu and his Johann Strauß Orkest.

Hehehe, WE know who it is, don't we?

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	16. Kiara Likes Who?

Hello all! Here is chapter 16 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 16: Kiara Likes _Who_?

Over the next few months, Kiara showed no signs of realizing where her feelings lay, so Cordelia decided it was time to bring their other friends in on the story. As Cordelia had expected, Melanie, Wendy, and Eugenie didn't want to believe who it was that Kiara appeared to like. Rosie, of course, had always maintained that he liked her. After Cordelia related everything she'd seen, however, they realized she was right.

"Ok, so she likes him," Eugenie said, "I think she's out of her mind, but everything you say, Cordelia, makes sense. So, the question now is, what do we do?"

"Well, while we certainly wouldn't have picked him, Kiara obviously did," Cordelia replied, "Even if she doesn't realize it herself yet. I think that's what we should do first. Talk to her and make her realize or admit her feelings for him. Let's go drag her out of the library and out for a walk." Their campaign decided, Wendy went to fetch Kiara out of the library. Once they were all out near the lake, the five girls surrounded Kiara.

"Ok, girl," Wendy said mock forcefully, "We've guessed who it is you've fallen for. Now, you have to admit it."

"What do you mean?" Kiara asked, a bit perplexed. "I haven't fallen for anyone."

"Oh yes, you have," Eugenie added. "Even if you don't realize it, or maybe you just don't want to admit it, you have."

"Well, if you guys know something I don't, tell me!" Kiara said, feeling unaccountably nervous.

"Well, you spend a great deal of time with him," Melanie said.

"And you always smooth your hair before going someplace he'll be at," Rosie added.

"You keep glancing at him," Cordelia put in.

"Who _is_ it?" Kiara asked, exasperated.

"It's really quite simple," Eugenie said. "Who is it that you spend the most time with?"

"But that's Professor Snape," Kiara said. "I don't…" she trailed off, her eyes wide.

"Aha, now it dawns on her," Wendy said delightedly.

"But he's a _professor_," Kiara said.

"So? In April, you'll be seventeen and of age," Cordelia said. "And after next year, you won't be his student any more and he'll still only be about twenty-nine. It's a big age difference, but not unmanageable." The three girls couldn't help but grin at the look on Kiara's face.

"But…he doesn't feel that way," Kiara protested. "He doesn't like anyone."

"Even if that were true, if anyone can change that, you can," Eugenie said encouragingly. "And besides, maybe he's just good at hiding his feelings."

"You do care for him, don't you?" Cordelia asked gently. Kiara nodded, then, as the full impact of what she had admitted struck her, hid her face in her hands. "Ok, I think the first thing we should do is get him to notice you, if he hasn't already," Cordelia added. "Your clothes, of course, we can't do anything about. A uniform's a uniform. On the weekends, however, you have to start wearing nicer things. I know…you have a couple of nice, tight jeans. Those will do nicely, especially that low-rise one you have. You have a graceful walk, Kiara. Now, you just need to accentuate it a bit. Sway your hips a bit as you walk, but subtly, not like some of those Slytherin girls. Also, we need to do something with your hair. In case you haven't noticed yet, you're almost seventeen. I think it's high time you combed out the braids. Come on, let's go back to our dorm." Half amused, half preoccupied, Kiara followed her friends back inside and up to their dorm room. The girls unceremoniously plunked her down in front of her dresser and started working on her hair. The end result of their efforts was a half up, half down hairstyle, with the upper part pulled back into a small coil, leaving a few small tendrils to frame her face. Kiara had to admit that it looked quite good. Since it was Saturday, the girls also forced her into one of her tight-fitting jeans. They allowed her to pick out a pretty, but modest, blouse to go with it.

When she entered the Great Hall that evening for dinner, it was obvious her appearance was causing an effect. Several boys, who were still hopeful, were staring. Professor Dumbledore saw that someone else had also noticed and was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her.

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Shortly after the Easter break, the girls organized a party in the Gryffindor common room in honour of Kiara's seventeenth birthday. Professor Dumbledore, in the meantime, decided it was now time to pay another visit to his Potions Master. He headed down to the dungeon and knocked.

"Enter," came Snape's voice.

"Ah, Severus, lovely day, isn't it," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"If you say so, Headmaster," Snape replied.

"Why Severus, don't you know? Your star student turns seventeen today."

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape replied. "I was aware that today is her birthday."

"You are rather fond of her," Dumbledore said.

"As I recall saying once before," Snape replied, "I am proud to have such a dedicated student, but I am not fond of her. It would not be appropriate."

"If you say so, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile. There was something about that smile that made Snape a bit nervous. "Now, on to other matters. Are you aware what Miss Connon's career plans are?"

"I believe she wishes to become a Potions professor," Snape replied.

"Yes. I was thinking that next year, perhaps she could teach a few classes. She has demonstrated that she knows her Potions well, now let's see if she can impart that knowledge to others. Perhaps once a week, she can take the first year classes."

"I think she would do very well, Headmaster," Snape said. "She seems to possess an extraordinary amount of patience. My only concern is, how will she maintain discipline?"

"Well, I have already decided that she will make an excellent Head Girl. That will already give her a touch more authority. I think it would be best if, to enable her to deal with those few students who might offer disrespect, with the exception of when she sits here as a student herself, in this classroom, in the Potions office, and in the lab, she be given equal authority as the professors. In these three areas, she will be able to give or take house points, as well as give detentions."

"I think your idea is a good one, Headmaster," Snape said. "I believe we should implement it."

"Excellent, I shall make the arrangements." As Dumbledore left his office, Snape couldn't help but feel uneasy. Once again, it felt as though Dumbledore knew something he didn't but should. He kept an eye on his Headmaster, but the end of the year arrived with him being unable to discover what it was.

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Boys, and men, are as blind as bats sometimes, aren't they? grin (Although real bats are anything but.)

Please review!

Pretty please?

With a cherry on top?

grin


	17. An Offer to Teach

Hello all! Here is chapter 17 for your reading pleasure. I own none of JKR's characters, more's the pity. Kiara, her parents, and anyone not recognizable from the books are my own creations. I'm making no money off this, so _please_ don't sue me.

Thanks to all who reviewed!

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Chapter 17: An Offer to Teach

Kiara spent most of her summer with her Gran. Now that she was seventeen, she was allowed to learn to Apparate. By the time her Hogwarts letter arrived, she was ready to take her test. She passed her Apparating test easily, landing within a metre of her intended target point. When she returned home, she found Jareth waiting for her with her Hogwarts letter. She knew that the Head Boy and Head Girl were chosen from among the prefects, but she was still rather surprised to find that she had been chosen as Head Girl. Although she would miss sharing a dorm with her best friends, she enjoyed the prospect of having her own room.

In August, old enough to go places alone, she Apparated to Diagon Alley to purchase her school supplies. She saw the entire Weasley clan there and realized that Ron was now eleven and starting first year. Then she realized that the boy she'd heard so much about, Harry Potter, was also about to start first year. She quickly finished buying her supplies, had dinner at the Leaky Cauldron, then Apparated back home. She spent the rest of the summer studying, knowing that the coming year would be difficult, with the preparations for her NEWTs.

On the train to Hogwarts, she and the Head Boy, a Ravenclaw, outlined the prefect duties for the new prefects, one of whom was Percy Weasley, and assured them that they were always available for help. At school, after enduring a bit of teasing from her friends, Kiara waited for the first years to be sorted. A young girl with bushy brown hair, Hermione Granger, was sorted into Gryffindor. A pale haired boy who looked rather unpleasant, Draco Malfoy, was sorted into Slytherin. Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffindor, as was Ron Weasley. Kiara was glad to note that the two had already become friends.

The following day, after classes, Kiara was summoned to Professor Snape's office. She left the common room, trying not to see the knowing looks her friends sent her way. When she got to the office, she saw both Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore waiting for her.

"Miss Connon," Snape began, "Am I correct in believing that you wish to become a professor?"

"Yes, sir," Kiara replied.

"Very good," Dumbledore said. "Professor Snape and I have had an idea. How would you like to teach Potions, once a week, to the first year classes?"

"I'd love to, sir," Kiara replied enthusiastically.

"Since you are a student yourself, even though you are Head Girl, you might find it difficult to maintain discipline," Dumbledore said. "Therefore, Professor Snape and I have agreed that here in this office, in the potions classroom, when you are not there as a student, and in the potions lab, you will have equal authority with any other professor in the school. While, as Head Girl, you may give or take house points anywhere in the school, in these three areas you may also give detentions when necessary. Either Professor Snape or myself will always be in the classroom while you are teaching, as this will count towards your marks."

"Thank you, sir," Kiara replied. "I look forward to it. When do I begin?"

"You will begin the week after next," Snape said. "Come to my office the Saturday before, and we will go over the lesson plans."

"Yes, Professor," Kiara said with a bright smile. As she left the office, Professor Dumbledore noticed Snape's eyes following her out. He was glad he had thought of this plan. Not only will it help her achieve her goal of becoming a professor, it will also help achieve his goal of getting her and his Potions Master together.

The Saturday before her first teaching class, Kiara arrived at Professor Snape's office right after breakfast. She had already been to the lab earlier that morning but, now that she was in her seventh year and still the only one who used the lab, he no longer supervised. After spending several hours going over lesson plans, Kiara found herself being teased mercilessly by her friends, despite her insistence that Snape didn't return her feelings.

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Yay! Kiara gets to spend even more time with Snape.

Please review! I love reviews. My muse feeds on reviews.


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